Dishwashing and sterilizing machine



Oct. 24, '1939. J, D Ewls y 2,177,219

' DISHWASI-IING AND STERILIZING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2o, 19:57 4 sheets-sheet 1 /7 fase/W5 .eamls Y www! Oct. 24, 1939. J. D. LEwls DISHWASHING AND STERILIZING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2o, 1937 4 sheets-sheet 2 llllst 0d. 24, 1939. 1 D Ew|s DIsHwAsHINc-'r AND STERILIZING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20. 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 i I l 22, l

Oct. 24, 1939. J. D. LEWIS DISHWASHING AND STE-R'ILIZING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 8 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for cleansing dishes and/or utensils of all sorts and has for its general object the provision of a novel machine by means of which such objects or articles may be washed, rinsed, sterilized and dried, it being, moreover, a feature that the device is equally capable of use as a dish and food warmer.

An important object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character in which the 10 Washing and rinsing are eieoted simply by the power derived from the pressure of or in the household water system, it being consequently unnecessary to provide any motor driven pump for the purpose of distributing the water onto the l5 dishes and/or other articles.

What might be called the primary object of the invention is to providea dishwashing machine in which the water distributing means comprises the combination of a reaction operated' relatively slowly rotating main water supply or distributing arm, or a plurality thereof, an auxiliary faster rotating arm and relatively rapidly rotating or whirling spray nozzles carried thereby and likewise reaction operated, the combination of movements of the arms and nozzles resulting in a thorough and most ecient application of the water, in the form of jets or ne streams in contradistinction to a spray, onto or against the various objects to be` cleansed, it being moreover a feature to provide one or more discharge tips of a selected size and adjustable as to position ordirec tion of discharge for the purpose of regulating the rotating speeds of the distributing arms and the nozzles to insure maximum emciency to be derived from the pressure in the available water supply system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a water distributing system wherein the construction of the whirling nozzles may be such that the successive spurts of water therefrom may be of longer or shorter duration and in which the construction may be such as to direct the water upwardly alone or downwardly alone depending upon the relationship between the water distributing means and the article holding trays or shelves,

in addition to its being a feature that the water may be caused to pass upwardly and downwardly as is of course necessary when the distributing means is located 'between vertically spaced trays or shelves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this vcharacter in which the utensils cleansed may be sterilized by means of steam which may be saturatedand which may, if desired,

be superheated so that the most efficient tempera- 'sists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of elements or parts to be hereinafter more fully described and l5 claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, parts being broken away' and in section to disclose the 20 interior structure,

Figure 2 isa horizontal sectional view taken on substantially the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view of the water distributing mechanism taken on substantially the line 3-3 25 of Figure 2, all parts of the machine other than the water distributing mechanism being omitted,

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the end of the auxiliary water distributing arm and the whirling nozzle carried thereby, 30

' Figure 5 is a side elevation of thetrunnion element about which the nozzle rotates or whirls,

Figure 6 is a front elevation of what is shown in Figure 4,

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary views similar 35 to Figure 6 showing different angularly shaped nozzle tips,

Figure 9 is a detail cross section taken on the line 9-9- of Figure 4 with the nozzle tip broken away or omitted, 40

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of trunnion member for the nozzle constructed to provide spurts of relatively long duration,

Figure 1l is a detail cross section taken on the line II-II of Figure l0, 45 Figure 12 is a View similar to Figure 9 showing a pair of discharge tips for the nozzle and showing a modied trunnion member capable of disposition to cause the jets or spurts ofwater to be projected either upwardly or downwardly as pre- 50 ferred,

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the trunnion member shown in Figure 12, the remainder of the nozzle and the end of the auxiliary distributing arm being shown in dot and dash lines. 55

' Figure 14 is a cross-section through the trun- Anion member of Figures 12 and 13,

Figure is a side elevation of a water distributi ing system of a somewhat modified form. fragy'similar to that shown in Figure 16 but constructed to permit the use of a pair of tips,

Figure 19 is a plan view thereof, 4 Figure is a side elevation of another form of l trunnion member having but two ports,

Figure 21 is a detail cross section taken onthe line 2|-2| of Figure v20,

Figure 22 is an elevation of a nozzle of the same general type as that disclosed in Figures 16 and 18 but constructed to Referring more particularly to the drawings I have shown my machine as comprising a suitable casing I of any desired sizeor-shape and of any preferred or appropriate finish, the casing being formed with door openings normally closed by hinged doors 2 equipped with the usual fastening devices. vMounted within the casing are vertically spaced perforated or Vforaminous shelves 3 and 4 upon which lare disposed the racks or baskets 5 containing the dishes, utensils' or any other objects to be Washed, sterilized and dried. The bottom 6 of the casing is inclined toward a water outlet which is represented as in the form permit the use of -as many as 'of a P-trap 1 connected with a waste pipe 3. It

. is preferable that a screen or perforated'member v ber so that its presence will not retard the iniiow" 8 be provided at the entrance end to the trap for the purpose of preventing any relatively large fragments of food or other material from passing into and possibly clogging the trap. The casing,

should be equipped with a thermostatic valve I* to permit the outlet of cold air from the chamof water and -so that steam pressure can bei satisfactorily generated.

The water distribution -system for supplying water onto and against the dishes or other objects to be cleansed, comprises a suitably mounted inlet or supply pipe I0 entering the casing and carrying a valve structure formed as a body having a valve seat I2 therein adapted to be closed by a valve I3 carried by a stem or rod |4 which passes through a packing gland I5 screwed into a plug I6 closing the end of the valve body,

the rod being djournalecl through the front of the casing and having its projecting outer end equipped with a handle I1 by means of which the rod may be turned for unseating or seating my the Valve I3, there being provided any conventional sort of preferably steep thread within the plug so that upon rotation of the rod it and the -valve will be moved longitudinally.

Depending from the valve body is a cylindrical shell I8, which is provided with a reduced threaded extension |9` at the upper end thereof screwed into the lower part of thevalve body for securing the shell I8 to the valve body The lower'end of the shell I8 is closed by a plugl 20 screwed into place and through which is journaled a-"tubular stem 2| having an outstanding flange 22 Aengaging upon bearing balls 23 seated in a race at the top ofthe plug 28. 'I'his'hollowv or tubular stem 2| extends through a plug 24 screwed into the upper end of a T 25 and carrie's a collar26 upon which are mounted bearing balls 21 seated in a race at the underside of the plug 24. Screwed into the opposite branches of the T25 are pipes 28A and 28, the former of which is. closed at its outer end and carries a weight 38 and the latter of which is screwed into a tting 3| from which rises a tubular or hollow stem 32 swivelly connected with a tting 33 of T-form from the vopposite branches of which extend pipes 34 and 35, the former of whichis closed at its lo outer end and equipped with a weight 36 and the latter of which has its free end screwed into a tting 31. While the swivel connection between the pipe 32 and the T 33 might be varied, the construction herein disclosed comprises a plug 1 screwed into the 1ower .branch of the T 33 and apertured for rotatably receiving the pipe, the latter carrying collars 39 and 40 between which and the plug 38 are interposed bearing balls 4|,

.the mung and the anguiarhead 44 is a 'rotatable :30

shell 48 of cylindrical form having a radial port 41 within which is located a tubular stem 48 of angular formation and which may be right 'angu-' lar as shown in Figure 6, of obtuse angle form as shown at 48* in Figure 7 or acute angle shape as 35 shown at 48b in Figure 8. The stem A48 is rotatably adjustable within the port or passage 41 so as to vary the reaction eiect and is secured in an adjusted position simply by screwing it into place or holding it by means of va grub or other set 40 screw 49. 'I'he different modes of holding are shown in different gures of the drawings. Secured 'to the outer end of this tubular stem 43* or 48", as the case may be, is a nozzle 50 which constitutes the outlet for water.

In so far as the water discharge means is con- 45,

cerned, it will be seen that when water is intro# duced through the inlet pipe kI0 and the valve |3 is unseated by turning the handle I1, the water will pass through the valve seat I2, re. duced extension ls, sneu ls, stem 2|, r 2s, pipe 23, tting 3|, stem 32T fitting 33, pipe 35, tting 31, reduced extension 42, body 43, ports 45, hollow stem 48, and nozzle or jet 50. Clearly the reaction will cause the shell 46 to rotate about 55 the body 43, and as the hollow stem 48 registers with the successive ports 45, there will be a suc-- cession of spurts of water which will impinge against the dishes or other objectsin the upper and lower racks 5, thereby eiectually cleansing'A160 .the objects. At the same time, .owing to the fact 1 that the longitudinal axis of the'nozzle or jet 58 is at an angle with respect to thetransverse axis of the shell a reactionary effect will be exerted upon the pipe 35 and as this pipe is carried by the 65 T 33 which is swivelly connected with the stem .32 both of the pipes 34 and 35 will rotate as a unit.` Moreover, the reactionary force will cause the pipes 28 and 29'and T 25 carrying the same, together with the stem 2|, to rotate with respect to the shell I8. On account of this action it should be apparent that all surfaces ofthe dishes or other objects will bevexposed Ato the cleansing efl'ect'of the successive spurts of water issuing from the nozzle so. t 75 that it would be necessary to have the spurts of- 14 as shown in Figures 20 and 2l instead of the vinstead of both. In such an instance the pre- 6y 9, 10, 11, and 16. l5

v placed -by a body member 52 0f Similar foim eX' upon which it is mounted, is below or above the Carrying e nezzie 51- in case the machine has simply an upper tray ting 60 carriedby a pipe 6l corresponding t0 the sterilization, it is obviously necessary to develop but may be tangential with respect to the stacommunicating and connected with a header 45 rotatable about e body member 43 having e type disclosed in the Abbott Patent No.1,367,341

-ideiitieelly the Seme menne? Se as to' Vary the 18 so that there will be a complete circulation l radial Poit o1' Passage e5 es in Figures 6 to 12' forDishwashing and sterilzing machines, grant- I 4over showing both of the tangential ports' or provided, it is obvious that there must be pro- -alvaalo i 3 If the ports 45 be of circular or cylindrical or passages 10 being shown as occupied by plugs shape as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 9 the spurts 12 with counterbalancing weights 13 exactly as willbe frequent but of comparatively short durain Figure 18.v By such an arrangement it is tion. If it is desired to have fewer spurts of clear that ythere will be double Ythe number of longer duration recourse may be had to the conspurts `of water. Obviously, if such is desired, struction Shown in Figures 10 and 11 wherein the outlet nozzles could be mounted in the ports there are disclosed but three ports 5| correspondor passages 10 and the ports or passages 1l be ins t0 the ports 45 but of elongated Shape- The closed by shifting the counterbalanced plugs 12. l action is ofcourse the same in other respects. Another point to be mentioned in passing is In sonriel constructions of dshwashiug machines that the relatively stationary body member which 10 it is conceivable that there may be but one article serves es the trunnion for the rotary shell may supporting shelf and insuch case it is apparent be formed simply .lwith a pair of elongated ports water in only an upward or a downward direction plurality illustrated for instance in Figures 5, ViouSlY deeolibed body member 43 Could be I'e- .Regardless of whether the nozzle, and the pipe eeDt that there Would need to be only one Dort main water outlet pipe, it will be seen that the 53 therein extending throughout Preferably nVe' reactionary force will not only cause rotation moths of the. periphery or circumference The of the nozzle itself or the shell upon which it spurts of water would therefore be directed downis mounted but Wlll also eau-se rotatlol1 of what wardly only if` the body 52 be arranged as in might he ealled the allxlllary plpes as Well as Figure 12 oi only upwardly if the body ne 'in' the main pipes. In a great many dishwashing' verted with respect to what is shown in Figure machines there ls a spray action whereas with 12- Moreover it is not necessary te limit the the present device the water is ejected in what 25 number of nozzles er jets te one and m- Figure might be called the form of a wheel, there being 12 I have shown the shell 54, correspondlngtov slmplyv suoeesslve spurts upwardly and dowmf the previously described sneu 46 ne ferme@ with wardly incase the machine has vertically spaced tWe radial. Ports er passages 55 Wiinmeach of article supporting trays between which the nozwhich is rotatably adjustably secured a. stem 56 Zle is located, or only llpwardly or downwardly 3o Figure 1 shows the rotatable pipes 34 and 35 or a loWer tras/, as mounted above the Pipe 29- The invention Regardless of the details of whatever nozzle is not limited to this arrangement as a reversal meohanlsm may he provided, it is va distinct may be resented te es snow in Figure 15 Where' feature of importance to provide' for steriliza- 35 in the pipes 53 and 59 corresponding te line pipes tion of whatever objects, such as dishes, silver- 34 and 35 are SWVBllY Supported beneath e' nt' ware or the like, are cleansed. To accomplish Pipe 29 ebd SWiVeied beneath the Water inlet a considerable degree of heat within the machine eontiol VeiVeand to provide means whereby this heat will be Another variation in the nozzle construction adequately dlstrlhutei Over What has pleVOllSly been descrlbeda iS trial? In Figures 1 and 2 I have disclosed the stel-:1 the outlet, one or more, need not be radlal with haine means as oomlorlslhe a plulallty of U respect to the shell as shown 1n Figures 4 to 12 shaped tubes or pipes 15 Whloh have thehends` tiobeiy Cylindrical body member annui' which 16, these tubes or pipes containing resistance the Snell TeVlVes- .Figure 16 snows e' Snell 52 elements 11 which might conceivably be of the Pluielity of Ports M therein but the passage though possibly of a diierent variety inasmuch o1 Doi't 53 Within Wnien the Outlet Steinis mount' as this detail is not considered to be an essen- 50 ed is tangential though the same in every other tial feature of the invention The u shaoed respect as the previously described outlet stems pipe members 15 are shown as connected heal. es 43a 48h oi' '5e and adiustebiy Secured in their bight portions by transverse tubes or pipes reaction force. Y of water throughout all of them. While it ls Figures 18 and 19 show another modleetion possible to supply water to this sterilizing means wherein the rotary Shell 64 1S formed Wdh e by the structure disclosed in my Potent 2,127,778

and e tangential Port o1' Passage be tne idee' ed'August 23, 1938, such is not really necessary being that the outlet stem carrying the nozzle as in the present instance I have shown a sepa may be located Within either the one not in rate water inlet pipe 19 leading from any suituse being Closed by e' blug 61 Preieably can'y" able or appropriate source of supply and coning e Weight' 58 designed to eountei'belenoe tbe nected with one of the transverse tubes or pipes Weight of the outlet stem and nozzle So es to 1s. 1t should of course be mentioned that the insure smooth rotation free from excessive viu shaped pipes 15 are perforated as at so 65 bration. that when the resistance units 11 within the The yonly dierence between, what is shown pipes perform their function and Steam is gem in Figure 22 and Figures 18 and 19 is that in erated, such steam will issue from the perforathe former the shell 69 is represented as protions 80 in the U-shaped pipes and effect a vided with two radial ports or passages 10 and sterilizing action `upon whatever obJects are 70- two ports or passages -1l tangential to the cenwithin the machine. l tral relatively stationary port, this figure more- Regardless 0f Whatever Sterilizing means is passages equippedwith nozzle carrying outlet vided an outlet for the water used in cleansing stems 4B of obtuse angular Iform and the ports the dishes or other objects. In View of this, 75

I have found that it is sumcient to provide the I P-trap 1 previously described. This will permit the development of a suiiiciently high steam pressure Within the casing of the machine and, consequently, a suiiiciently high temperature to kill any bacteria -which may be present upon the articles to be cleansed.

After sterilization has been effected, it is clearthat the continued passage of current through the resistance elements, after the water within the pipes 'l5and 18 has been exhausted or dispersed in the form of steam, the continued heat will operate to dry the dishes or other objects Within the racks 5.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent 'that I havev thus provided a combined dishwashing and sterilizing machine which will in every respect perform the functions for which it is intended. It will be observed that there is always a Wheel-like spurt action in contradistinction to aA spray such as is provided in many machines for the general purpose. It is believed that the successionof spurts in a-substantially vertical plane impinging against the dishes, glasses, silver-ware or other objectsl supported upon the one or more trays will act to eiect a superior cleansing action in a shorter time than is the case vwith the ordinary type of machine.

In s'o far as the specific description is concerned, it is thought that the foregoing should make the invention perfectly clear to one skilled in the art without any further amplication or explanation.

While I have shown and described the pre-k ferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely exemplilcation of the principles involved as the -right is reserved to make all such changes in the -details of lconstruction as will widen the eld of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided suchvchanges constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope y of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. For use in a dishwashing machine of the type involving a cabinet and means within` the cabinet for supporting articles to be cleansed, the combination of a water inlet pipe, a main water arm swivelly connected with said inlet pipe, an auxiliary water arm swivelly connected with said main water arm and a discharge member carried by said auxiliary arm being reaction operated to rotatev with respect to said auxiliary arm. i

2. For use in a dishwashing machine involving a cabinet and means within the cabinet for supporting articles to be cleansed,v the combination of a Water supply pipe, a main arm swivellyconnected with said inlet pipe, an .auxiliary water arm swivelly connected with'said main water arm, a rotary reaction operated member carried by said auxiliary arm and comprising a relatively iixed,.radially ported head secured to the .auxiliary arm, a ported shell rotatable about said head, and an angular nozzle-carrying 'member carried by said shell.

3. For use in a dishwashing machine-of a type involving a cabinet and-means within the cabinet or supporting articles to be cleansed, the combination of a water inlet pipe, a'main water arm swivelly connected with said inlet pipe, an auxiliary water arm .swivelly connected with said 4main water arm, a rotary member carried by said auxiliary arm and comprising a relatively ixed, radially ported head'secured to the au'xsaid nozzle fshell,` and members being of selective angularity.

4. For use in a dishwashing machine of a type involving a cabinetand means within the cabinet for supporting articles to-be cleansed, the combination of a water inlet pipe, a main water arm swivelly connected with said inlet pipe, an auxiliary water arm swivelly connected with said main water arm, a rotary reaction operated member carried by said auxiliary arm and comprising a relatively fixed, radially ported head secured to the auxiliary able about said head, an angular nozzle-carrying member carried by said head; the angularity of said nozzle-carrying member being adjustableto ported shell supported by and rotatl arm, a ported shell rotatvary the reactionary force of spurts issuing there-v from. i

5. For use in a dishwashing machine of a type involving a cabinet containing means for supporting objects to be cleansed, the combination of a stationary water inlet pipe, a horizontally rotatable main pipe swivelly connected with said firstv named pipe, an auxiliary or subordinate substantially horizontally rotatable pipe .swivelly connected with one en d of said first named pipe, a fitting carried by one end of said auxiliary pipe formed with a plurality of ports, and a nozzle device carried by saidauxiliary pipe at the ported end thereof and rotatable in a vertical plane.

6. For use in a dishwashing machine of a type ing objects to be cleansed, the combination of a stationary water inlet pipe, a horizontally rotatable main pipe swivelly connected with said iirst named pipe, an auxiliary or subordinate substantially horizontally rotatable pipe swivelly connected with one end of said first named pipe, a fitting carried by one end of said auxiliary pipe formed with a. plurality of ports, and a nozzle device carried by said auxiliary pipe at ythe ported end thereof and rotatable in a vertical plane,

outlet stem and a nozzle carried by the latter.

7. For use in a dishwashing machine of a type 5 rotatable main pipe swivelly connected with ksaid stantially horizontally rotatable pipe swivelly connected with one end of said first named pipe, a fitting carried by one end of said auxiliary pipe formed with a plurality of ports, a nozzle device carried by said auxiliary pipe at the ported end thereof and rotatable .in a vertical plane, said nozzle device including a ported shell, an outlet stem and a nozzle carried by the latter, said stem being rotatably adjustable with respect to the means for maintaining said stem in a predetermined position.

8. For use in a dishwashing machine of atype involving acasin'g and means within the casing for Asupporting objects to be cleansed, the combination of va water inlet pipe, a main Water distributing pipe revolubly connected With said inlet device including. a ported shell, anv

pipe, an auxiliary or subordinatewater distribut\ -A ing pip'e revolubly connectediwith said main distributing pipe, both of -said- .pipes being rotatable in a horizontal plane, Iand a nozzle carried vby said auxiliary pipe; saidl nozzle being reaction operated to rotate in a vertical plane.

JOSEPH D.

rst named pipe, an auxiliary or subordinate sub- ,50 

